Wasurareta Futago (aka The Forgotten Twin)
by xAsHLeXx
Summary: We all know the story about Haku, don't we? But in this story, we dive deeper into Haku's past and realize that there is a void behind everything that he is doing. Something... about a twin? Read on to find out more :)
1. Prologue

Author's Note: I wasn't sure if my story counted as K+ or T so just to be safe i'm rating it under T. Yes, this story has been published before by xXkashikuXx which was my old account. I deleted the story in that account and chose to rewrite (with quite alot of changes) this story in this account. Now that that's done...hope you enjoy my story and review please? :)

* * *

It was a cold, snowy night and storms were raging. An icy chill crept through the cracks in the wooden shed; a modest piece of housing in these desperate times. A time where hope was no more than a fairytale that sought to entertain young children. A time where happiness was a priceless gift that remained far out of reach of many.

But yet… a family, a modest home of two was blessed with this priceless gift…

In the middle of the cold and raging war where mourning was a common occurrence, a tiny sparkle of hope lit up in the hearts of that young family; a family of two, a husband who had seen better days and a young girl whose heart had grew heavy and weary. Sorrow and fear had made those two mature beyond their age.

For this, God had granted them a precious gift… the gift of life.

And in the middle of this cold and dark war, where hope and happiness were nonexistent, a cry lit up the faces of the weary couple.

The cry of a newborn child…

The child, born, cold and naked to the freezing world served as a symbol of purity and innocence that was a rare occurrence. The young mother, wearing a tattered and torn yukata; a gift passed down from generation to generation reached out to cradle the newborn in her stick-thin hands. Her beauty was spoilt by her undernourished body due to extreme poverty.

The child would never know the existence of its bloodstained past, nor have the knowledge of what was to come in the near future due to the blood pulsing through its veins. No, it was a bundle… a bundle of pure innocence that was born into a world full of bloodshed and war.

Yes, in a land where peace had so long forgotten itself, becoming more and more nonexistent, hope was born.

_Waaaahhhh…waaaahhh…_

It was the sound of another cry! The midwife exclaimed in happiness. Truly this family was greatly blessed. True, blessed they were… but in the near future, misfortune and bad luck was bound to fall on them. For the wife was carrying a deadly secret, one that would bring disruption to the whole family.

She cradled the boy in her right hand and the girl in her left. She was grateful for both of them. To her, it did not matter if the child was a girl or a boy… family honor which was believed to be brought by having a baby boy did not matter to her.

To her, having a child would make her able to forget about the sad past and move on with a new life. For her past was something she would rather not remember… and it was one that even her husband did not know about.

The twins began to wake up and to struggle. The mother coaxed them with a family lullaby that was sung to her when she was small. Her sweet voice filled the room.

_Go to sleep my darling, _

_go to sleep my love,_

_as your father tends the sheep,_

_and mommy knits the wool._

A teardrop began to form in her eye but she shook it away. Her mother was gone now. Her life was lost in the battle that haunted the young girl… all because of the blood that was flowing in her veins. She shook her head at the unfairness of it all.

Having being orphaned at a young age, she had no memory of her father, nor could she recall ever having met him. She married a young man of about her age and lived a poor and somewhat peaceful life in the war that raged on for generations.

The twins smoothened at their mothers touch. The baby boy let out a tiny gurgle and reached out to touch his mother's face. The boy's father gently stroked the few strands of hair on his head and smiled a tired but gentle smile.

_He is such an innocent child… white as snow and pure as ice…_

_I will name him Haku…_

Then his mother glanced at the baby girl, still sleeping soundly in her arms, oblivious of her surroundings.

_Her name is Yuki… For she was born in snow and truly is a blessing to us._

* * *

Author's Note: Yuki means snow or blessing in Japanese. There are many definitions of Haku but the more common term used is 'white'. It can be used as a symbol of purity.


	2. Chapter 1: Innocent Days

Yuki and Haku grew up as fine children, not knowing the bitter past of the war. For when they were born, peace soon fell upon the land and they grew up in harmony. The civil war that had raged on for decades was finally over and they could now live in peace…

…or so they thought.

The hatred remained, and all that had the _kekkei genkai _blood in their veins were hunted and sought out, sometimes even by their own family. The village people thought that they were free from any _kekkei genkai _users and had killed them all… but they were wrong.

One survivor remained, living a normal human life and passing off as a mother with two. Determined to live a peaceful life and to grant happiness to her two children, she concealed her ability as a _kekkei genkai _user; a bloodline so strong and dangerous which was what made them become the hunted in the first place.

Her ability was to be able to yield _kekkei genkai: Ice release_, an advanced nature _kekkei genkai _of the Yuki clan, the clan that she was born in. Due to this ability, she hardly knew any peace throughout her whole life.

This was why she married a young farmer and subjected herself to poverty. With her looks and beauty, she could have easily done otherwise.

That same blood was now pulsing through the veins of her children; or more specifically…her **child**. For only one of them had inherited this deadly trait while the other was spared of it.

The hatred of the villages towards any member who possessed the _kekkei genkai_ ability was still strong, the scars of war etched deep into their memories, making it hard to forget. They called the _kekkei genkai _the _cursed _clan and thought that it was their duty to eliminate them due to peace.

The same hatred coursed through the veins of the young farmer that she had married, so she concealed her unnatural ability to control ice and water. It was through this secret that the young farmer would soon feel betrayed and bring harm to his very own wife.

Haku and Yuki were closer to each other than any sibling should ever be. They were intoxicated with the love for each other, an innocent love that would soon conquer all. They weren't filled with lust… just the need to be close to each other constantly.

When they were little, if one twin was separated from the other, both would cry uncontrollably until they were put back side by side. Perhaps, even then, they could already sense the terrible future that was to befall them, although how anyone could predict that misfortune, it was almost impossible to understand.

_Yuki-chan! Matte yo! You'll fall down if you run so fast!_

Haku panted as he ran after his little sister. The young boy was not as fit as his little sister who seemed to always be full of energy and mischief.

_Aww, man… Onii-chan you're always so slow…_

The little girl ran ahead laughing, her hands outstretched wide. Her little feet planted tiny footprints as they sloughed through the snow. They were soon covered up by the heavy snowfall. It was mid-winter and the snow was at its heaviest. Nevertheless, Yuki insisted on playing in the snow with her brother desperately trying to keep up to her.

_Oofff~~_

A soft thud and then a loud cry could be heard.

_Waaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh~~~_

Yuki had fallen down on her face and picked herself up, crying.

_Are you okay? Where does it hurt?_

Haku knelt down next to his sister, stroking her back gently. He was dressed in a white-colored scarf, the color of snow. Little Haku was the apple of everyone's eye and the attention of many. No one could deny that he looked irresistibly cute. His hazelnut brown eyes were the envy of many. Many little girls had already fallen for him but he only had eyes for his sister. Thus, unlike him, his sister was the scorn of many and many had already pointed fingers at their relationship.

They insisted that their closeness was a grave sin, something more commonly known as _incest_, meaning intimate love towards one's brother or sister, intimate love meaning the type of love between lovers. But to describe their relationship as such was only a scratch to the surface of what lay deep. Haku could not live without Yuki and neither could she. The feeling was mutual, and the intensity of it was probably stronger than love itself.

The two spent most of their time together and there was never even a second that you would find them separated, just like when they were babies. Even in the neighborhood kindergarten, the two of them constantly held hands tightly, as if they were afraid that one of them might disappear at any moment.

It was probably understandable, given that they were born during a time of war, but many still saw it as an inappropriate act. They complained to their mother who took it lightly and just shrugged it off. Their parents refused to acknowledge such a thing and always protected the two from any accusations which they faced. Their parents love towards them was undivided. Due to that, they managed to live a somewhat peaceful and contented life.

_Don't cry…_

He nuzzled his face with her cheek, trying to cheer her up. At her brother's touch, the girl quieted down. She buried her face, now red from the cold in her brother's chest. Dressed in a pink and white coat that was too fluffy for words, she looked so adorable, like a baby kitten.

_You're always so careless…c'mon._

He held her hand in his and gently lifted her up so that she was standing.

_Let's go home, ne? _

He smiled his sweet smile at her, a smile that knew no sorrow.

And she smiled back.

When they arrived back home, their mother rushed out to greet them, a worried look on their face.

_Anata wa daijoubu desuka? __Nani ga anata ni okorimashita ka? (Are you okay? What happened to you?)_

She scooped them up in her arms, one in each arm and gave them a tight hug. A tear trickled down her face.

_I told you not to run off just like that. It's snowing and you might catch a cold. _

Then her eyes caught sight of the slightly bruised spot on Yuki's arm.

_Did you fall? Oh dear. You had better come in fast._

She ushered them into the small space in the cottage which served as a living room, dining room and bedroom. A small fire was burning in the fireplace which brought little warmth to the icy-cold room.

But something felt different in the tiny house. No matter how much wind or draft crept though that place, the hearts of the residents inside it remained warm.

Their mother rummaged through the shelf to find her first-aid kit, a small and tattered box which looked that it might be centuries old. One might even doubt if the medicines inside it were still usable or if it had rotted with age.

She pulled out a bottle of antiseptic and a cotton swab and dabbed the wound gently.

Yuki cringed as the alcohol seeped into her wound but her brother grasped her hand tightly, making her braver.

_That's a brave girl._

Their mother smiled at her and bandaged up the wound. Yuki smiled a sweet smile in return, her ears bright red from the cold.

Later at night, as the twins snuggled close to each other for warmth in the _futon_, the traditional Japanese bedding, Yuki whispered into Haku's ear…

_I'm scared onii-san… I feel that something bad might happen soon._

Her little body was trembling with fear, as if something had come over her and as Haku glanced into her black eyes, as dark as the abysm, he found that her face was as pale as snow, the blood drained from it.

And that was when he truly became worried… …

Yuki had a special instinct, the gift of premonition, also known as _sixth sense_. She could foretell the future and would often have nightmares because of it. Sometimes they were wrong, but most of the time they were correct. She might have gone insane had Haku not be there to help her. She trusted her life in him and he was the closest thing that she ever had. Even her own parents did not know about those premonitions.

Haku tried to convince her to sleep, and after much coaxing, the two of them finally closed their eyes as dawn rose.

If only they knew the sorrow and danger that was yet to follow… …


	3. Chapter 2: The Turning Point

_**It was 5 days later when it happened…**_

I was a normal and moderately sunny day; one of those days where everything seems just perfect. But the fragile nature of peace and perfection made it able to be destroyed in a moment of carelessness. And Haku was about to experience that pain…

Haku was playing alone in the yard, one of those rare times when his sister had fallen asleep and he could not. He left her on the futon and started throwing snowballs into the distance. Although originally he was worried about Yuki's foresight, he soon let down his guard as nothing began to happen.

Suddenly, as he picked up a block of ice which had begun to melt, he realized something odd. The water from the melted ice was swishing around unnaturally in his hands, taking shape and forming a perfect sphere- except that it was water.

Haku stared at it, amazed for a moment and started playing with his new ability, forming different shapes from spheres to dolphins all the way to diamonds. He was laughing happily when his mother came out of the house.

_Nan desu ka? (What is it?)_

His mother had come out of the house when she had heard his laughter. Her face was all smiles.

_Okaasan~ Kore o mite! Utsukushii desu ne? (Mother~ Look at this! Isn't this beautiful?)_

Little Haku was excitedly showing his mother his newfound ability to manipulate water. His face was curved widely into a smile.

But the smile disappeared when the smile on his mother's face turned into shock. A sharp pain pieced his cheek when he realized that his mother had slapped him. The water fell to the ground with a splash.

_Don't you ever do that again! You foolish child!_

Haku stood there, dumbfounded. He had never been slapped by his mother before. One hand was clutching his face where his mother had slapped him. As he looked down, he saw drops of water falling onto the ground. Looking up, he saw that his mother was crying.

_Gomenasai, Haku-chan… I didn't mean to do that…just, could you not ever use that ability again?_

Haku nodded and put his tiny arms around his mother's.

_Don't cry, Okaasan. I'm sorry. I won't do this again._

His mother smiled at him gently but as he led his mother back to the house, he heard her mutter.

_Why does this have to come back to haunt me now? Why couldn't you have grown up to be normal like your sister? _

And that's when he realized that his ability was considered a curse.

The next few days were somewhat normal, with the peace and unity restored. But something was amiss…their father had not come back from work for an extended period…and the last time that Haku had seen him was…

_...when he had been playing in the yard._

As they were gathered huddled around the living room, with Haku playing hide and seek with his sister and their mother watching happily, a sudden knock was heard under the door.

Suddenly, Yuki muttered into Haku's ear.

_Onii-san…hide…NOW!_

Yuki dove under a shelf, a place where only she could fit due to her small size while Haku hid under a kitchen cabinet. Their mother got upto open the door, obviously not knowing that something was amiss.

_Okaasan, don't!_

Yuki shouted in her high and small voice, making her mother spin around to face her. At that moment, the door burst open and splinters rained everywhere.

Their father stood in the doorway. But he was not alone…

A group of men carrying swords, pitchforks and knives were with him. Two of them moved to pin their mother to the ground using brute force. A dull thud could be heard as she fell to the ground in the most unladylike position.

_What is the meaning of this? Izanagi, why are you doing this?_

Their mother yelled in a choked and painful voice.

_Okaa-_

Haku tried to yell but he was cut off by his sister who was shaking his head fervently.

With tears streaming down his eyes, their father approached their mother with a raised sword.

_You are charged of being a member of the Yuki clan, a descendant and an inheritor of the notorious kekkei genkai ability. Your punishment is death._

His voice shook as he said this.

_How? I thought you loved me! Shouldn't you know that I mean no harm?_

Tears were streaming down their mother's face as she tried to break free. A crack sounded as one of the men nearby broke her hand due to her struggling so much.

_Owwwwwwwwww~~_

Their father looked at their mother, his mind seemingly made up.

_You lied to me! You lied about your ablilty! _

_If I hadn't lied you would have killed me earlier, just like this! Why can't we live a normal and happy life!?_

_Because you're not normal! Your clan killed my parents! And the parents of most of us here! They are only brutal and vicious._

_So did-_

Their mother's words were cut off as their father droved the blade deep into her heart. Coughing blood, she rolled over, and her eyes met Haku's as she fell to the floor…

…dead.

Their father sheathed the sword as the rest of the villagers let out a triumphant shout.

_Not yet. There is still my son. He is a bearer of the kekkei genkai ability. Find him… and kill him…_

Haku stood frozen as he heard his father's words. Suddenly, he heard a voice.

_No! Brother Haku wouldn't do anything wrong! _

Yuki had come out of hiding and as standing there, with an adamant look on her face. Tears was streaming down her face as she saw her mother's lifeless body on the ground. Their father looked shocked for a moment but soon regained his composure.

He turned to one of his men.

_Take her outside…_

Yuki could barely catch the last few words after that but she could distinctly hear the words.

…_and kill her._

An old man, Yamashita, a village elder forcefully carried Yuki out of the door, deep into the snow where it had become knee-deep.

He stopped and placed her on the ground, with one hand firmly restraining her movement. But she wasn't fighting back…

He pulled out a knife from his pocket and was about to stab her when…

_Do it. We all die in the end anyway. _

Her words shocked him. But her eyes feared him the most.

They were rolled up to the back of her head, like a witch saying an enchantment. And the voice that said it was too adult to be hers.

_W-what do you mean?_

He stammered.

_My brother… he will kill us all. Me included. That is our fate._

And with that, she stabbed the village elder with a hidden knife.

Back at the cottage, the village people were busy turning it inside out, trying to look for Haku.

_He's in here somewhere! He would never leave his sister alone! _

Sister… She's dead…

Horrible images flashed in Haku's mind of Yuki being decapitated and stabbed to death in the snow out there.

Water seeped through the cracks in the floor and as Haku clenched his fists, the water began to form sharp spikes that could pierce through stone.

Suddenly, the counter that Haku had been hiding under was lifted up.

_Found you!_

It was his father.

In his raised hand… was a knife.

And that was when Haku drove the spike into his father's heart.

Back outside, little Yuki was trading through the snow. But she was not little anymore. Something was guiding her, a female voice that only she could hear.

_It's almost time, little Yuki._

_I know… soon, this village shall taste death. And more pain .I'm scared… I don't want to die. _

_It's okay… at least it's by your brother's hands._

_Yeah… hey, lady?_

_Hmm?_

_Can I ask you one favor?_

_What is it, little Yuki?_

_When I'm gone, can you erase Haku's memory of me so that he will live? _

_Are you sure you want me to do that?_

_Yes, I want him to have a new life. Forget all this pain and sorrow. Forget that it was him who killed me. Please…_

_Okay. I will see to it that your last wish is granted._

In anger and fear, Haku felt the blood of the _kekkei genkai_ pulse through his veins and summoned large spikes out of the snow throughout the whole village. His hatred and fear made the strength of his _kekkei genkai_ ability multiply many times. There was no place that anyone was safe. There were screams and shouts and then… everything became deathly quiet. Nothing moved. There were no animals, neither wild nor bred. Everything was a huge mess. Huts were destroyed, crushed and mashed up like they were made out of paper. The village looked like a tornado had hit it. Blood was scattered everywhere. No one was spared. In a few minutes, everyone was killed…

…including his little sister who had fallen asleep out in the snow, a peaceful look on her face.

Haku fell to the ground in exhaustion and loneliness, a pain that he had never felt before, piercing his heart.

_Maybe I really am cursed after all…_

Exhausted after using up all his chakra, Haku fell onto the floor of the broken cottage, the whole village now a graveyard.

_I want to join you sister… … _

But he heard a voice and as he opened his eyes, he saw a figure approaching him. It was the figure of a girl, wearing a white dress. It just looked like snow. She bent down, her little figure crouched beside him. Stroking his head with her tiny hands, she said.

_No, brother. You must live. Live and be strong._

Placing her hand on his forehead, she cast a bright white light. First it shimmered, then it became brighter, and finally, covered the whole of little Haku's body with it.

_Sayonara, brother. Forget about me and so that you can live a new life. From this day onwards, it will be as if I never existed. I love you, Haku. I wish it didn't have to end this way._

She bent down and placed a kiss on his sleeping body, the first kiss that they ever shared.

And the little girl disappeared, taking away Haku's memories with her. A light pink scarf fluttered in the wind… and a drop of water fell onto the snow…

… and then it was gone.


	4. Chapter 3: Not My Home

_**When Haku woke up, most of his memory was gone. **_

He stumbled around aimlessly in the snow for awhile, waiting for his memory to return to him. He tried speaking to himself to keep himself calm and sane while he took in the deathly quiet village. A village where even the bird's songs had ceased to exist.

_I am Haku. I have a father and a mo-_

Then a sudden image flashed back into his mind and he collapsed onto the snow. It was the face of his mother, her eyes wide open and blood streaming down her face as she collapsed onto the floor. And the murderer was …

… his own father.

The man who had raised him had threatened to kill- no, he actually killed – the only woman who he had really known his entire life. That man was now a murderer.

But what about him? As Haku walked around the village, he saw the bloodstained snow and the destroyed cottages. A sudden memory flashed back into his mind.

A memory of ice spikes piercing the village, sparing no one, not even the children. His knees gave way as he stared at his hands in horror.

_It was me… I was the murderer. _

His whole little body shook uncontrollably with fear and shock.

_So much violence, and he had done it…_

But why did he? He felt like there was a puzzle piece missing. An important piece of his memory that he wasn't understanding. Without it, he felt hollow inside, like a piece of his heart had been cut out and taken away.

_Why am I living? Why is everyone dead and me alive? Who spared me? There must be a reason…_

But try as he might, little Haku could not find that reason. He stared at the ground, confused, as if an answer might just suddenly jump up at him. He was not angry or sad, just…lost and confused, like a little puppy who had lost his way home.

_Home…_

Haku wondered what that word even meant to him anymore. He felt betrayed. Was the life that he had been living all a lie? It so, then what was the reason for living.

_**What was the reason for living…**_

There! He had found his answer. What he had lost was a reason for living. It was as if he had no purpose in life, nothing to keep him going. The truth hurt and he knew that this time, it would change his life forever.

He wanted to just lie there in the snow and let the cold take him away. Take him far far away from this dreadful town, this dreadful place, this dreadful earth.

But yet something kept him going, something that even he did not understand. Perhaps, it was his sister's curse that he continued to live, to strive for living.

Yes, indeed. Haku's life was a cursed one indeed. To have everything and then to have it taken away from you… it was probably even worse than having nothing at all, so that nothing could be taken away from you.

Weary and tired, Haku somehow managed to force himself to keep going, to find food. His little body trudged knee-deep in the snow and he sighed pathetically. He settled in a cottage that still had cheese and some leftover bread and tried to ignore the dead occupants staring up at him from the floor.

He filled his stomach and crawled into the bed of the cottage to sleep.

_**Days passed and the village remained empty.**_

Food supply was running scarce and Haku knew that he had to find a new income of food, and fast. Snow was also falling thick around him and his tattered and torn clothes did not help much.

The silence almost drove him insane but he forced himself to get up each and every day to find food to keep himself alive. He still did not know what kept him going. Perhaps it was his instincts, he had thought to himself. But he shook his thoughts off and kept on living, although what he was doing probably wasn't considered as such.

The hardest part was the loneliness that was gnawing away inside of Haku. When they say that humans were meant for each other, they meant it. The absence of human company- or any company for that matter- was bearing down on Haku like a dead weight, making it harder than it already was for him. It made his little figure hunched, as if he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.

His body became programmed to the usual routine.

_Food, shelter, water…_

That was all that he thought about. To satisfy these three needs to keep him alive became his life. He had succumbed so low and his clothes were in tatters. The last time that he had taken a bath was…

…ahh, he couldn't even remember.

_**It was one month later when the food supply began to run dangerously low.**_

That was when Haku decided that it was time to move. He packed up what little he had; nothing much, just a few pieces of scrap food that was still edible and tied a piece of cloth into a bag. Slowly, he left the village, unsure of his future.

The little village stayed silent, watching the only figure alive finally leaving it. It let out a deep sigh and gave in to its death. From that day onwards, no one ever entered that village again and it was forever abandoned, with Haku as its last occupant.

_**After 3 days of endless walking and trudging through the snow, Haku came across a small village hidden in the mountains. It was still winter and he was close to frostbite.**_

Little Haku collasped on the snow as the came into sight of the village. It seemed like forever before he forced open his eyes and everything was dark.

_Am I blind?_

He blinked again and realized that it was not him that was blind. The sky had turned dark and slowly village lights came on, one by one, lighting the midnight sky.

A shiver ran through his tiny body and his survival instincts kicked in. He realized that he was going to die if he stayed out here any longer. Already his tiny fingers had a slight tint of blue. The temperature had dropped to negative degree celcius and would continue to drop, Haku realized. He forced himself into a crawl, his body weak from starvation and entered the town in the most degrading way possible.

_Mommy, look! It's a little boy!_

A little girl dressed in pink and tightly wrapped up was standing in front of him, her stubby little finger pointed at him. Her cheeks were red from the cold and she was holding on tightly to her mother's hand. Something about her sparked a feeling in little Haku's chest and a tear trickled down his cheek although he didn't know why.

The little girl bent down and wiped the tear from his cheek, patting his head in the process.

_Akari! What are you doing?_

A little boy standing at the sidewalk, beside a row of shops with welcoming lights was looking at his sister. A sudden image flashed in Haku's mind of a little figure falling down in the snow and then it was gone.

Their mother turned around, suddenly realizing what her daughter was doing and pulled the girl away roughly.

_My child! What are you doing? _

She took out a handkerchief and wiped the little girl's hands as if Haku was ridden with a disease that her daughter might catch.

_Don't ever talk to strangers._

The woman pulled the little girl into the warmth and safety of those shop lights as Haku lifted his fingers in their direction, begging to be taken along too. The little girl continued to face him, a pitiful look on her eyes before she turned to face her mother as they entered the shops.

Haku punched the ground in anger and sadness.

_Why was it so unfair?!_

Something began to rise from the ground where his fingers touched the snow. It was water from the snow that had melted. An image flashed through his mind of his mother slapping him. It was the first time she had hit him...and also the last.

_Okaasan~_

Tears fell from little Haku's eyes. He wanted to just lie there and die. He closed his eyes, willing the ground to open up and swallow him. The darkness closed in on him when-

_Oi! Don't just lie there, dog!_

Then something hit his side, hard.

_Ouch!_

Haku opened his eyes to find an old woman standing in front of him. She was holding a stick and started beating him with it.

_What are you doing?_

Little Haku got up in a hurry and crouched himself into a fighting stance. He got a whack on the head for that.

_What do you mean what am I doing?! You little brat! You're lying in front of my store! You're going to take away my customers!_

Little Haku looked up and saw a warm yellow light coming from a bakery. He reached out his hand and-

-got whacked again.

_Oi! Can't you hear me you little rump? Get lost!_

Haku scurried out in a hurry but not fast enough to miss the little face of a child peeking out of the window. Her rosy cheeks and wide eyes looked surprisingly familiar...it reminded him of...someone.

_But who?_

An image of a girl clothed in white flitted across his vision.

_Yuki?_

Then the image was snatched from him. He looked around, dazed and found himself in a back alley without lights. Snow ontinuously fell around him.

_Yuki..._

It held a simple meaning- snow. Yet why was the word so special to him? Was it because he would die if he stayed out in the snow any longer? Looking around for a shelter, he spotted a huge dustbin next to the wall. With no options left, he opened the lid and dove in.

_Uggh...it stinks in here._

And indeed it did stink for the dustbin that he was in was the ones from the shops where stale food was thrown away and the rancid smell of rotten food filled the air. Little Haku tried to find something edible in there by digging through the pile of junk.

Finally, he pulled out a half-bitten apple triumphantly. He dove his teeth into it hungrily. His stature was no longer that of a young boy but that of a ferocious beast. It was a human who had been pushed to his limits and would soon have to rely purely on his animal instinct in this cold and forbidding place to survive. It might have been better off if he had stayed in his old village. For this village did not welcome outsiders and emmitted a cold and unwelcoming vibe that can send a shiver down anyones spine, much more if it was just little Haku. It was as if the town was saying,

_Get out. You don't belong here._

And in this cold and desolate village, little Haku would soon face many boulders in his young and still yet innocent life.

_**The days passed and Haku finally succumbed to fighting for food with...dogs.**_

It was a cold day and snow was still falling heavilly on the ground even though it was only noon. Winter seemed to last forever to little Haku. It became a battle that he had to fight...and win.

He was hiding behind the dustbin, waiting for the usual time that the shopkeepers would drop off their wastes and feed it to the dustbin...as well as the little boy who was hiding behind it.

As soon as the shopkeeper left, Haku dove out from his hiding place and spotted todays income.

_Ahhh...I got lucky. Its from the bakery again!_

He reached out hungrily to snatch the plastic bag up but something else was faster.

_Grrrrrr..._

Sharp teeth pierced through the plastic bag and it flew 1 metre away before Haku had any chance to react. Skidding and sliding over the slippery ice and snow, Haku grabbed the plastic bag triumphantly. An angry puppy was at his feet, growling insistently. In this cold weather, even the dogs were forced to fight for food.

_Get out of here! This is mine!_

The puppy launched itself at Haku, his teeth baring.

_Grrr!_

_Go away! This is mine!_

Haku kicked the puppy as hard as he could and sent it flying. The puppy landed on the soft snow, motionless. A larger dog immediately came to its side and nuzzled the puppy until it was able to stand. The larger dog then growled protectively at Haku, a motherly instinct.

_Mother dog..._

Haku's eyes softened for a moment, in pity. Not for the dog, but for himself. Even the lowest of the lowest had someone to comfort them and take care of them when they were hurt. Yet, he had nothing. Nothing to hang on to. All that he had was taken- no snatched was the right term- from him. Once again, Haku asked himself...

_Why am I alive? Is. It to fight with dogs for food? Just..._

Then he sighed. This was fate. He could do nothing about it. He walked away from the still growling dogs and started eating his newfound 'feast'. It was really just a few pieces of burnt bread or bread that had fallen in the floor, but it was a real treasure for Haku, who had nothing to eat in days.

_**This was the life of the poor orphan for many days, until one day...**_

Haku could find no food and was left to starve continuously for three days.

_Is this it? Am i really going to die here?_

He lay on the sidewalk, all energy drained out of him. He couldn't even move a muscle. The hustle and bustle of the villages lives seemed to whirl around him. They ignored him, not accepting him as one of their own. He was an outsider and always will be. His torn and tattered clothes didn't help much. Having been living in literally what was a garbage can for the whole month he started smelling like it too. Not like anyone would care how they smelled if they were trying to stay alive. Food was of utter importance and everything else was just...a luxury. His hair grew long and mattered, reaching until his waist. The poor child hadn't had a bath in weeks.

Suddenly, something poked his stomach. He opened his eyes and found two intense eyes staring down at him.

_Ahhhh!_

Pumped with energy and adrenaline at the shock, Haku scurried a short distance away, wondering who was it who woke him up from his near death.

The little girl cocked her plump head...

...but what Haku noticed the most was the small lump in her hand. A piece of bread.

He snatched it out of the little girl's hand and stuffed it into his mouth before she could do anything. The little girl had an expression of pure surprise and shock but she didn't back away.

_What is your name?_

It took him awhile to rrealize that it was the girl who was speaking. It was long since he had last heard human voices, even more sincere someone had last spoken to him. It took a long time for him to process the message such so that the little girl thought he could not understand her.

_Can you...understand Japanese? Can you speak?_

She looked at him like he was a rare animal, a curious thing that was not human.

_Do they all look at me like that?_

Haku realized.

_I can speak. _

He was still vary of the little girl, despite her just saving his life. Perhaps the bread was ridden with poison-

_No. She wouldn't do that_.

One look at her told him that she wasn't that kind of person.

_Haku, what's yours?_

He offered a slight but rusty bow in greeting. It had been long since the last time he had spoken that way- or spoken at all for that matter. He almost choked out the words, his throat was so dry. The little girl knew that.

_Maybelline. Would you like some water?_

Haku nodded earnestly. It was hard to find clean water out on the streets. You could suck on the ice from the snow, but little Haku wasn't strong enough for that yet. Last time he tried, he vomited for days on end and almost died of dehydration.

_Maybelline! Where are you?_

A woman's face appeared in the window. Haku gasped. It was the woman who had beat him a few weeks ago.

_Hide!_

The little girl pushed Haku out of sight and stood up.

_I'm here! Sorry, mother!_

The little girl pushed open the door to the shop open and was enveloped in her mother's embrace. The warmth of the shop swallowed her up, threatening to separate her and Haku forevet. A pang hit Haku's heart.

_Where were you?! You made me worried! _

Haku knew that what the woman said was the truth. Even if she was cruel to him, she was still human and loved her daughter.

_Sorry mother..._

The little girl hugged her mother back. But Haku could see that she was itching to turn, to look at the little boy that she left behind in the cold cold snow.

_Come, I will give you some food to eat._

Her mother pulled the little girl into the kitchen, where the warm. smell was so strong that it even reached little Haku out in the snow.

_But mother..._

She really turned around now. But Haku was in hiding and she could not see him.

_What's wrong, darling?_

The woman looked at Maybelline. Her eyebrows were turned into a frown.

_Nothing, mama. Let's go eat._

She grabbed her mother's hand and steered her towards the kitchen.

Haku sighed and disappeared into the darkness of the night. He finally realized that he didn't belong here.

_I don't want to bring her any trouble. She shouldn't have to decide._

He sighed as he took one last look at the shop...and he never came back.

About a few minutes later, Maybelline rushed out into the snow with a bottle of water. All that greeted her was silence and darkness.

_Haku...?_

She looked around franticly but no one was there. She fell and her knees hit the snow with a soft thud. The bottle fell from her hand and the cap came off, spilling its contents onto the snow. The water immediately turned to ice in the cold night.

_Where did you go, Haku?_

She left the bottle with only half of its contents remaining in the snow, hoping that Haku would find it.

_If I can't meet him...at least...please let him get this._

But when she checked again about an hour later, the bottle was still left there, out in the snow and was slowly turning to ice.

A tear slid down her pale little cheek as she realized that he wasn't coming back. And she never saw him again. Although, deep in her heart, she knew that he didn't belong here. He was a wanderer, looking for a meaning in life and trying to stay alive.


End file.
